Recall of Losartan potassium left few choices with us!

Recall of Losartan Potassium, another antihypertensive drug, after Valsartan and Irbesartan because of potential carcinogenic impurities, left few choices for the patient to manage their hypertension.

Losartan potassium is a time-tested drug used to treat hypertension, heart failure, and proteinuria. It is currently marketed alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide.

It is marketed by a variety of pharmaceutical companies and most of the companies in Pakistan and worldwide obtain their raw materials from Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.


 

Voluntary recall of Losartan potassium by Sandoz Inc.

Sandoz Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of Losartan Potassium-Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, USP 100mg/25mg to the consumer level.

Because of the presence of trace amount of an impurity, N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) contained in the API Losartan, USP manufactured by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, the drug is being recalled.

This impurity, which is a substance that occurs naturally in certain foods, drinking water, air pollution, and industrial processes, has been classified as a probable human carcinogen as per International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The product can be identified as Losartan Potassium-Hydrochlorothiazide, 100 mg/25 mg tablets in 1000-count plastic bottles, NDC 0781-5207-10, Lot number JB8912; Exp. Date 06/2020.

This product was distributed nationwide to distributors. The affected product was not distributed prior to October 8, 2018.


Discontinuation of Losartan Potassium should be discouraged

Patients using losartan potassium should continue their medicines and consult their physicians and pharmacists. Patients should not discontinue the drug as benefits may outweigh the possible toxic effects. Furthermore, abruptly stopping the drug may lead to serious end-organ damage.

Sandoz Inc. is a renowned pharmaceutical company worldwide. Losartan Potassium marketed by Sandoz is available by the name of NOKTAN.

Switching from Sandoz to another brand of losartan potassium in Pakistan is probably not advisable because the efficacy and safety of these brands cannot be relied upon.

Furthermore, only one batch of Losartan potassium has been identified to contain carcinogenic impurities. So there is no need to panic and start discontinuing losartan. This may lead to uncontrolled hypertension and heart failure.


Losartan Potassium brands in Pakistan

In Pakistan, Losartan potassium is available by the following brand names

  1. A2A and Co-A2 ………………… Wilsons pharma
  2. Acertin-50 and co-aceartin ……EPLA pharma
  3. Acertan-p ………………………. Unicorn pharma
  4. Angilock ………………………… venous pharma
  5. Anhibit and anhibit plus ……… medicraft pharma
  6. Artazide ………………………… pharmatec pharma
  7. Bepsar and bepsar plus ……….Nabiqasim pharma
  8. Blaze an blaze plus……………. mass pharma
  9. Cardaktin and cardaktin-h……. technovision pharma
  10. Cardive………………………….. olive pharma
  11. Chemozide and co-chemozide ..ideal pharma
  12. Corik and corik-H………………. Raazee pharma
  13. Correct…………………………… FYNK pharma
  14. Coryton………………………….. Brookes pharma
  15. Cozaar……………………………. Merck pharma
  16. Encertine………………………… English pharma
  17. Eziday and co-eziday …………..werrick pharma
  18. Fortzaar …………………………..Merck pharma
  19. Giozar and Giozar-D…………… PDH pharma
  20. Glutan-DIU ………………………Webros pharma
  21. Hyzaar ……………………………Merck pharma
  22. Jasartan ………………………….Jawa pharma
  23. Jesper and jesper plus …………unimark pharma
  24. Kosart and kosart diu…………. pearl pharma
  25. Larsen and Larsen-t…………… pharmedic
  26. Locor ……………………………..aries pharma
  27. Locozar………………………….. mediate pharma
  28. Lopec and lopec-h ……………..askari pharma
  29. Lopizide ………………………….candid pharma
  30. Loplus …………………………….atco pharma
  31. Loran ……………………………..wise pharma
  32. Losaan and losaan-h …………..efroze
  33. Losan and losaan-H ……………Wilshire labs
  34. Losanta and losanta-diu ………Asian agencies
  35. Losaprex and losaprex-p ……. paramount pharma
  36. Losar plus and losar-k …………platinum pharma
  37. Losartan …………………………don valley pharma
  38. Losaretic and losaretic plus …..pharmatec pharma
  39. Losartan ………………………….tagma pharma
  40. Losascot and losascot plus ……scotmann pharma
  41. Losaten and losaten-h ………. .bryon pharma
  42. Losazide plus ……………………don valley
  43. Losert …………………………….genome
  44. Losgin-k ………………………….jinnah pharma
  45. Lositan ……………………………medicaids Pakistan
  46. Losium ……………………………medera pharma
  47. Lostress ………………………….atco lab
  48. Lotar ……………………………..hamaz pharma
  49. Lotense and lotense-H………. .schazoo zaka
  50. Lotone ……………………………pulse pharma
  51. Lowprasure dc ………………….orta labs
  52. Lowvas …………………………..hamaz pharma
  53. Lozak …………………………….friends pharma
  54. Lozatin …………………………..lexicon pharma
  55. Loze ………………………………heal pharma
  56. Lp-sil ……………………………..silver oak corporation
  57. Megasar ………………………….mega pharma
  58. Mirisart …………………………..miracle pharma
  59. Normopress and Normozide ….CCL pharma
  60. Osaar ……………………………..lowitt pharma
  61. Osartan …………………………..libra pharma
  62. Osran and osran-TZ ……………beste pharma
  63. Parlak …………………………….ambrosia pharma
  64. Raposin and raposin-d …………shaheen agencies
  65. Rosar ……………………………..rock pharma
  66. Sar k ……………………………..robins pharma
  67. Sar-k plus ……………………….saffron pharma
  68. Sarcol and sarcol h …………….novins international
  69. Sartan and sartan h ……………Barrett hodgson pharma
  70. Sartx and sartx diu …………….panacea pharma
  71. Sarutan and sarutan plus ……..medipak limited
  72. Sozaar ……………………………alliance pharma
  73. Stumpan …………………………pulse pharma
  74. Tansaar …………………………..tread pharma
  75. Tansin and tansin ds …………..pharmevo ltd
  76. Tasartan ………………………….stern pharma
  77. Traslo …………………………….ejazuddin and company
  78. Vasonorm ……………………….pharmacare lab
  79. Wozide and wozide plus ………WNS field pharma
  80. Xavor, xavor diu and xavor forte ..ferozsons lab
  81. Xeta and xeta plus ……………..Wilshire labs
  82. Zonate ……………………………Munawwar pharma
  83. Zosartan-k ………………………Zafa pharma
  84. Zostat and zostat plus …………Himont pharma

Read More …

  1. FDA/ DRAP recalled Valsartan due to carcinogenic impurities
  2. FDA announced to recall another antihypertensive drug – Irbesartan
  3. Dulaglutide, a once-weekly anti-diabetic medicine
  4. Dapagliflozin launched in Pakistan

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